Chapter 1 A Startling Thunder

A terrifying thunderclap tore through the entire sky.

Lu Changsheng, with 'Contention' as the theme, preached and lectured, urging the people of the world to compete for fortune and not to sit idly by and wait for death.

He simply hadn't expected that Lu Changsheng would dare to say such things.

Sages never die!

Thieves never cease!

These eight words were simply beyond common sense.

In the world of cultivation, there were two types of sages. One was a cultivator with extremely high cultivation, and the other was not someone with profound cultivation, but someone who possessed the qualifications to preach and teach. As Lu Changsheng had said before, establishing a heart for the heavens and the earth, establishing a destiny for the people, being able to achieve this was a true sage.

But Lu Changsheng's sentence, "Sages never die, thieves never cease," was too terrifying.

It likened sages to thieves.

If anyone else had said such a thing, they would probably have been slapped to death immediately, but when Lu Changsheng said it, it only caused shock after shock.

But even so.

A tribulation lightning tore open the sky, as if it were the wrath of the heavens, or as if a sage had revived and was furious.

Violent winds and torrential rain, lightning and thunder, were like the destruction of the world.

This was heavenly wrath!

"Saint Master, don't say such things!"

"Saint Master, please don't provoke the sages!"

Someone shouted loudly, filled with panic, because Lu Changsheng's words had indeed provoked the wrath of the heavens.

Boom, boom, boom!

At this moment, the illusory figures of sages appeared one after another, but they did not bring anger, only gazing at Lu Changsheng.

The sky rumbled loudly.

The thunder was deafening, and extremely terrifying.

Just then, a voice rang out.

"Fellow Daoist, what do you mean by this?"

As the voice rang out, a sage's illusory figure gradually solidified, radiating light.

This was a true sage, but only a mark left by the Heavenly Dao, but it was still a sage!

"A manifestation! A manifestation! A manifestation!"

"Communication across time and space, Saint Master Changsheng actually attracted a sage to appear."

"This is Saint Chen! This is Saint Chen!"

"Hiss! Saint Chen from 330,000 years ago? The Saint Chen who made an oath to the heavens and the earth? I never thought that I would see this sage in my lifetime."

"Wuwuwuwu! This student has seen Saint Chen."

"Greetings, Saint Master."

Throughout the world, countless scholars were incomparably shocked. They exclaimed the origin of this sage, and many scholars knelt down, including great Confucians, because what they had learned was what this sage had taught.

Saint Chen was a sage from 330,000 years ago, and also the last sage to date.

It was precisely because of this that Saint Chen could manifest, the previous sages were too ancient and had disappeared into the years.

Saint Chen gazed at Lu Changsheng, he had no anger, no rage, only a question.

What is meant by sages never die! Thieves never cease!

The sage manifested.

Lu Changsheng had no fear, after all, he could be considered a sage himself.

But he would not skip the necessary etiquette.

He bowed to the other party with the etiquette of a sage. The other party was a sage, a sage who established a heart for the people, worthy of his bow, but soon, Lu Changsheng spoke.

"Sages rely on people. People have seven emotions and six desires. The world says that sages have no desires or demands, but sages are not without desires or demands. The desires of sages are greater, and the demands of sages are broader."

"The stronger the strength, the greater the greed. When becoming an immortal, one covets immortal artifacts and naturally looks down on magical artifacts!"

"Therefore, sages appear to be inactive, but they are also involved in theft!"

"But this is not humiliation, but the Dao heart!"

"We cultivators do not seek the previous life, nor do we seek the next life, we only seek to live this life magnificently, with quick gratification and revenge, repaying grievances directly. In this life, we will not yield to anyone! We will not beg anyone! We will not resent anyone! We will not envy anyone!"

"Sages never die, thieves never cease, cultivators are not destroyed, strife does not cease, do you understand?"

Lu Changsheng spoke each word powerfully and forcefully.

"Fellow Daoist's remarks are brilliant, but this sentence should have a second meaning, right?"

Saint Chen spoke, with a smile on his face, inquiring of Lu Changsheng.

In reality, the meaning of "Sages never die, thieves never cease" was not this.

It had two meanings, Lu Changsheng only spoke the surface meaning.

The other meaning referred to not using one's own moral standards to coerce others, and not only focusing on grand and righteous principles. There were no absolute sages or villains, and one should not occupy the high ground of morality.

This was the core meaning.

But Lu Changsheng did not answer, only simply stating the surface meaning.

He was only discussing the matter at hand.

And Lu Changsheng nodded, then spoke, "The world regards being like a sage as honorable, but there are no absolute sages or absolute villains in this world. We should not use our own moral requirements to measure others, nor should we coerce others to learn."

"Everyone has their own Dao! Walking out of their own path is what we cultivators should do."

"Even a stone must shine brightly and become the brightest star in the night sky."

Lu Changsheng's tone was powerful and forceful, this was his Dao.

He believed that all things in the world had their own core concepts, and that what was suitable for oneself was the kingly way. One could not imitate others simply because they were outstanding.

发挥自己的长处，才是王道。

And at this moment.

Saint Chen nodded, he looked at Lu Changsheng, then respectfully bowed and said.

"Greetings, Saint Lu!"

Four simple words.

In an instant, the torn sky closed up, and in the sky, clusters of Xuanhuang clouds appeared, and on the ground, colorful lotus flowers appeared, illuminating the world of cultivation.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth poured into Lu Changsheng frantically.

"A sage stands!"

An extremely loud voice rang out, spreading throughout the entire world.

At this moment, behind Lu Changsheng, the light of wisdom emerged, and voices rang out around Lu Changsheng.

"Heaven's movement is ever vigorous! The superior man makes himself strong and untiring!"

"The earth's condition is receptive devotion! The superior man carries the outer world with inclusive support!"

"There will be times when the waves break through the long river, hoisting the sails to cross the vast sea!"

"Where there is a will, there is a way. Heaven never fails the painstaking!"

"Heaven has endowed me with talents, which must be useful. A thousand gold coins scattered, they will return!"

"The road ahead is long and winding, I will search high and low!"

"Establish a heart for the heavens and the earth, establish a destiny for the people, continue the lost learning for the past sages, and create peace for all generations!"

The resounding words of the sages appeared around Lu Changsheng.

In the sky.

Two terrifying imprints appeared.

One filled with endless literary energy!

One filled with the power of the Great Dao!

The two imprints entered Lu Changsheng's brow.

In an instant, the world was shocked.

"The sage's mark!"

"That's the sage's mark!"

"Lu Changsheng has truly become a sage."

"Hiss! Senior Brother Changsheng has truly become a sage."

"He was a half-sage before, but now he is recognized by the heavens and the earth, and has completely become a sage."

"Sage! Sage! After 330,000 years, a sage has finally appeared."

The world was shocked, especially those scholars, who were even more dumbfounded.

Because Lu Changsheng had truly become a sage.

What made people curious was, what was the other imprint?